Why This Entrepreneur Tells People Exactly How Much Her Blog Makes

It’s uncommon for most people to share their income - especially not publicly. But a lot of professional bloggers have implemented the practice of reporting their income monthly for their readers.

I admit, the first time I saw this done, it was a bit jarring - but also very intriguing. Once the initial shock wore off, I found myself very interested and then inspired.

Kate Kordsmeier is the founder and CEO of the holistic wellness blog Root + Revel, creator of the digital course The Six-Figure Blog Academy, and host of the podcast Success with Soul, shares her monthly income with her readers and for good reason.

Kordsmeier understands that by sharing her numbers, her audience knows that she’s transparent with the ups and downs of her business. Her are three things that Kate believes financial transparency can do for your business.

1. It Actually Helps You Make More Money 

“Showing people what happens behind the scenes builds the know, like and—most importantly—trust factor that gets people to buy your services,” says Kordsmeier. “One of my most popular blog posts was about how I made $135K while on a four-month maternity leave in the middle of Covid. It attracted the attention of new moms, women who didn’t have the chance to spend that much time with their newborns and people struggling financially during the pandemic. It showed that I was a real person with a complicated life who figured out how to do the work and live life on my terms. That made me someone that people could relate to and someone whose skills they wanted. 

“Transparency doesn’t just get others excited about working with you, it also causes you to work on yourself. Talking about money means I need to actually hold myself accountable and make intentional financial decisions every day. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of ignoring or, at best, glossing over their finances. By talking about money, and actually looking at my numbers every month, I get clarity and am empowered to make more conscious decisions, ultimately leading to increased revenue,” notes Kordsmeier.

2. It Helps Women Get To Parity

The average woman earns 82 cents for every dollar the average man earns, according to 2018 Census data. What’s more, nationwide, 13% of men earn $100K per year and above but only 6% of women earn that much, according to a 2019 YouGov poll for Yahoo! Finance.

“If we want to bridge the gender pay gap and not be left behind, women need to start having conversations about money. Our silence keeps the status quo in check, allows us to avoid examining our relationship with money and prevents us from learning how to make more,” explains Kordsmeier. “By teaching and supporting each other, we lift each other up, show others what’s possible, and enable everyone to make more money. Wealth builds wealth. Revealing my numbers to anyone who cruises by my website lets people know that if you’re looking for inspiration and the tools to change their financial situation, I’m here for them.” 

3. People Want To Cheer Your Successes And Learn From Your Failures

“Not all of my earnings shared are positive. Sometimes I’ve lost money, made bad investments, or simply just had a poor return on investment. These are important lessons everyone can learn and grow from, oftentimes helping others avoid making the same mistakes I did. The students in my Six-Figure Blog Academy want to see what’s working—and what’s not—so they can save time and money by following my lead,” shares Kordsmeier. 

“Being the guinea pig and sharing the good with the bad also helps others not feel so alone, which is more important now than ever before due to the isolation this global pandemic has caused. Plus, entrepreneurship is just plain hard and it’s nice to have a buddy to go through the journey alongside. It’s funny how something as formal as an income report can actually provide a bit of connection, companionship and encouragement for people who stop by my site and take a look.”